EPL

Chelsea shocker 'hard to accept' but boss Tuchel resists dressing-room rant

By Sports Desk April 03, 2021

Stunned Thomas Tuchel delayed a dressing-room debrief until Sunday after Chelsea deteriorated from a well-oiled machine to a "rusty" heap in a 5-2 thumping by West Brom.

The head coach had led Chelsea on a 14-game unbeaten run after succeeding Frank Lampard in January, but they were overrun at Stamford Bridge by Sam Allardyce's relegation battlers.

Christian Pulisic had given a slow-starting Chelsea the lead after 27 minutes, but a red card for Thiago Silva moments later led to the hosts going limp, and by the time their second goal arrived from Mason Mount, the Blues had conceded four times.

Matheus Pereira and substitute Callum Robinson both scored twice in the unexpected rout, with Mbaye Diagne also netting for the second-bottom Baggies. Robinson became the first player in Premier League history to score at least twice in home and away games against Chelsea in a single season.

Chelsea have a Champions League quarter-final first leg against Porto coming up in Seville on Wednesday, and Tuchel is determined for any personal response to his first defeat to be a measured one.

"We cannot lose our heads and we cannot take away the trust we have with these players," Tuchel said.

"It was the moment after the game to be honest but to be calm, and to breathe and tell everyone to breathe. It will be a hard afternoon and evening for everyone.

"We have to accept it now. It's our first loss together and it's important to find a way to deal with it together. There were some quick words to calm everyone down and delay the talks until tomorrow. Because now is too emotional, now is too much frustration, and this is not productive enough."

Tuchel felt Chelsea were off their game even from an early stage, complaining they missed "a lot of opportunities to finish this game" before West Brom began their hot streak.

They had 18 shots to West Brom's 14, but Chelsea would have been flattered by anything but defeat.

"We were not able to adapt to one man down," Tuchel said. "There is no need to concede five goals if you are one man down, with our quality.

"But our defending was clearly not on the level it used to be. It's hard to accept but there's no other solution than to accept it and move on forward."

As Allardyce savoured becoming the first manager to win away at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League with three different clubs (Bolton Wanderers, Crystal Palace and West Brom), Tuchel was left to consider what went so badly wrong.

The German coach was asked whether the result was a "wake-up call", but he suggested he had not considered his team in need of such a jolt.

"If we look at this game in four weeks hopefully we call it a wake-up call because that would mean we really woke up and started a new series [of unbeaten games]," he said.

"For me, it was not necessary. I did not feel an overconfidence, I didn't feel we were arrogant or without the effort. They started to defend very deep. We had high ball possession, we created good moments and had good ball recoveries up the pitch. But still at 11 against 11, we had crucial ball losses in our own half, which produced two set-pieces right around the box.

"I was a bit more concerned by our body positioning, our positioning for the build-up and everything seemed a bit rusty and more rusty than in training.

"And that's why I was surprised [by the early stages of the game]. But I could accept it, I did not have the highest expectations. I thought if it takes us a while to come into this match, I will accept it.

"But to give a red card away like this straight after a goal, maybe we did not feel the risk. I will talk to the players about it. But the attitude in defending was clearly not the same like we did before."

Related items

  • Football rumours: Arsenal draw up 10-man shortlist in quest for striker Football rumours: Arsenal draw up 10-man shortlist in quest for striker
    What the papers say

    Arsenal’s quest to find a new striker has been whittled down to a 10-man shortlist, according to the Daily Mirror. Among those being watched by the Gunners are RB Leipzig’s Slovenian Benjamin Sesko, 20, Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres, 25, and his fellow Sweden international Alexander Isak, 24, at Newcastle.

    Another Arsenal target may be out of reach, reports the Daily Express. They have been tracking Dutch winger Xavi Simons, 20, but his parent club Paris St-Germain are keen to give him game time after a loan spell at RB Leipzig.

    Liverpool forward Luis Diaz, 27, is still hopeful of a move to Spain. The Daily Mail reports on the Colombia international’s father saying he remains keen on a move to one of La Liga’s top clubs.

    Manchester United have strengthening their defence as their main summer priority, according to The Daily Telegraph. Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, 21, is high on their list of targets.

    Social media round-upPlayers to watch

    Bruno Guimaraes: Spanish outlet Fichajes says Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is “obsessed” by the Newcastle midfielder, 26, who would cost around £85million.

    Lucas Paqueta: West Ham expect Manchester City to make another bid for the Brazil midfielder, 26, according to Football Insider.

  • France 3-2 Chile: Mbappe matches Henry record in comeback victory France 3-2 Chile: Mbappe matches Henry record in comeback victory

    France got back to winning ways as they came from behind to beat Chile 3-2 at Stade Velodrome.

    Les Bleus endured a poor start for the second time in as many games, falling behind after just six minutes in Marseille through Marcelino Nunez's finish.

    However, they turned the contest on its head before half-time with Youssouf Fofana equalising and Randal Kolo Muani heading them in front.

    Olivier Giroud ultimately got the winner for Didier Deschamps' side who, despite Dario Osorio's late strike, completed their Euro 2024 preparations with a ninth victory in 12 games since their 2022 World Cup final defeat to Argentina.

    France, who conceded after just seven seconds against Germany on Saturday, were punished for another slow start as a neat one-two down the right flank enabled Mauricio Isla to pull the ball back for Nunez to drive home.

    Despite losing Jonathan Clauss and Eduardo Camavinga to injury during the first half, Les Bleus responded well and levelled in the 19th minute when Kylian Mbappe teed up Fofana, who found the net from 20 yards via a slight Igor Lichnovsky deflection.

    Mbappe went close himself before the hosts turned matters around when Kolo Muani rose to head home Theo Hernandez’s deep cross.

    However, France survived scares either side of the break with Eduardo Vargas twice failing to hit the target from inside the six-yard box, heading against the post with his second attempt.

    The hosts capitalised on their good fortune to go 3-1 up in the 72nd minute. Kolo Muani turned provider with a wonderful jinking run into the area from the right wing, before pulling the ball back for Giroud to sweep in his record-extending 57th international goal.

    Chile threatened a dramatic fightback when Osorio drilled home eight minutes from time, and it took William Saliba's superb last-ditch sliding challenge to deny Ben Brereton Diaz an equaliser right at the death.

    Mbappe moves level with Henry to lead France revival 

    Deschamps' team had not suffered successive defeats since June 2015, though it looked a possibility when they fell behind in the sixth minute.

    But the revival began when Mbappe set up Fofana, who continued his fine scoring streak with his third international goal in four appearances.

    Although Mbappe did not find the net himself, he still managed to achieve yet another milestone courtesy of his 27th assist for Les Blues, moving him joint-second with Thierry Henry on France's all-time list, he now has Antoine Griezmann's record of 30 in sight.

    The skipper could well surpass that at Euro 2024, where France will be among the favourites when they launch their quest for a third title against Austria in Group D on June 17.

    Chile's rapid start proves academic on Sanchez's record-breaking night

    Having begun Ricardo Gareca's reign with a morale-boosting 3-0 victory over the in-form Albania, Chile built on that momentum with their fast start this time around.

    Nunez's strike after just five minutes and 12 seconds was their quickest goal since Alexis Sanchez found the net one second earlier against Germany in the 2017 Confederations Cup.

    Speaking of Sanchez, the Inter forward enjoyed a momentous night, as he surpassed Gary Medel to become Chile's most-capped player.

    One of three players to feature in his nation's last meeting with France in August 2011 – along with Claudio Bravo and Mauricio Isla – it was quite fitting that his landmark 162nd appearance came at the home of Marseille, for whom he scored 18 goals in 44 games last season.

    Chile now switch focus to their forthcoming Copa America campaign, which begins against Gareca's former employers Peru on June 22.

  • Gateshead hammer Hartlepool to move fourth in National League Gateshead hammer Hartlepool to move fourth in National League

    Gateshead moved up to fourth in the Vanarama National League with a thumping 7-1 win against Hartlepool.

    The visitors took a deserved lead in the eighth minute when Joe Grey almost allowed the chance to go begging before producing a neat finish.

    Callum Whelan had a goal ruled out for Gateshead before they equalised from the penalty spot in the 28th minute. Luke Hannant slotted home after Dajaune Brown had been tripped in the area by Manny Onariase.

    The home side went ahead early in the second half when Kieron Evans made the most of a poor attempted clearance and fired past Pete Jameson.

    Brown headed home unmarked for 3-1 and it was four when Regan Booty drove through a crowded penalty area shortly afterwards.

    Brown scored his second with a dinked finish and Whelan netted almost a carbon copy sixth with 15 minutes remaining.

    Tom Allan sealed a thoroughly miserable night for the visitors with a late seventh.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.